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John James Treewell
John James Treewell (1881-1931) was an English artist best known for his association with the Brick Pile Mob and his many portraits of his cousin, singer Elsie Belle. Early Life Treewell was born on 3rd April, 1881, in the Liberty of Norton Folgate, London. Records of the time list his putative father, James Treewell, as a clerk and agent for businesses controlled by a relative, John Folton. His mother, Emily (née Wrightham), is listed on the marriage certificate as having been a kitchen maid, aged at least 21 when the wedding took place in September, 1880.Evidence points to Emily having been closer to 15 years old at her marriage, and the recent Zaine Riot Project has found evidence that she was rescued on the first night of the riot from the "mixed w/children" house on Alkorn Row, probably within days of having conceived her son by being "broken in" at the house.. Until the summer of 1882, the family remained in London while James prepared to enter a Folton-controlled business in a management position. The infant John and his parents were soon joined by John's older cousin, Elsie, who would be his closest friend in childhood and one of his most important supporters in his career. By August 1882, the family had settled near Bodmin, Cornwall, where they would remain in a house shared with two other families for another three years. Treewell later wrote of his earliest memories in this house: "Playing on the parlour rug with Davey Orson while Mum and Mrs. Orson knitted and gossiped, or chasing Elsie through the little kitchen garden only to forget the pursuit when Mum stepped outside to offer us tea cakes fresh from the oven." It was also while living near Bodmin that Treewell discovered his love of capturing light and colour. His father's uncle, John Folton, gave him a little set of watercolour paints for Christmas, 1884, and with his mother's guidance the youngster set out to paint scenes from his life: the kitchen of the Bodmin house, a memory of a puppet show he had been taken to, and an interesting abstract which he labeled among his juvenalia as The Rug Beside Mum and Dad's Bed After I Was Sick On It From Croup. In 1885 the family moved to a cottage in Eglosbray, near Penzance. Here, Treewell attended a local school and had art lessons from Phineas Utney, son of the vicar. He also learnt some woodworking skills from his father, which guided him toward an interest in sculpture. Between 1891 and 1898, Treewell attended St. Pippin's School. He became acquainted there with William Cranleigh, son of Robert Cranleigh, 3rd Baron Chesley, and was in fact one of two friends to carry William to the school infirmary following a collapse that proved to be the first omen of final illness in 1893. For his efforts to help his friend, Treewell was given "two jackets of William's, and a photograph as a remembrance," as well as being invited, along with his parents and cousin Elsie, to visit Chesly Hall in Hampshire during the Christmas season in both 1894 and 1895. Further Education After leaving St. Pippin's, Treewell was accepted into St. Precepta University in London, specifically settling into Terrier College, the University's fine arts school. He had the opportunity here to study under leading artists of the era such as Sir Herman Day. He also rubbed shoulders once again with the aristocracy, becoming a close friend of Paul Rexley, soon to be the 5th Baronet Rexley. Both men left with degrees in art history, with Treewell's focusing on art of the ancient and classical periods. Footnotes